Rig Veda 5.49.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 49, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.49
- Devata
- Savitṛ
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तन्नो अनर्वा सविता वरूथं तत्सिन्धव इषयन्तो अनु ग्मन् । उप यद्वोचे अध्वरस्य होता रायः स्याम पतयो वाजरत्नाः ॥
tán no anarvā́ savitā́ varū́thaṃ tát síndhava iṣáyanto ánu gman | úpa yád vóce adhvarásya hótā rāyáḥ syāma pátayo vā́jaratnāḥ ||
तन्नोऽनर्वा सविता वरूथं भवतु; तत् सिन्धव इषयन्तोऽनु गच्छन्तु। उप यद्वोचेऽध्वरस्य होता, रायाḥ स्याम पतयो वाजरत्नाः॥
Word by Word
- तत्
- that (boon/aid)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अनर्वा
- the faultless oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अनर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दोषरहित/अविकृत/अप्रमत्त’)
- सविता
- Savitṛ (the Impeller/Sun)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरूथम्
- protection, shelterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वरूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- that (same protection)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सिन्धवः
- the rivers / SindhusNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इषयन्तः
- impelling, urging onParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमान-कर्तरि कृदन्तRole KartāRoot इष् (धातु) → इषय (प्रयोजक-प्रातिपदिक) / इषयन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अनु
- along, afterIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ग्मन्
- may they go / let them goVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आज्ञार्थे वैदिक-लोट्), 3 पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (वैदिक रूप: ग्मन्)Role KriyāRoot गम् (धातु)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यत्
- what/that whichPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- वोचे
- I have spoken / I speakVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), 1 पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (वैदिक: वोचे)Role KriyāRoot वच् (धातु)
- अध्वरस्य
- of the sacrifice (adhvara)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priestNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- रायः
- of wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिक), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक ‘wealth’)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ्, 1 पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot अस् (धातु)
- पतयः
- lords, mastersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजरत्नाः
- having prize-and-treasure; rich in booty and jewelsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वाज-रत्न (समास-प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘whose treasure is prize/strength’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): तत् नः अनर्वा सविता वरूथम् | तत् सिन्धवः इषयन्तः अनु ग्मन् || उप यत् वोचे अध्वरस्य होता रायः स्याम पतयः वाजरत्नाः || Notes: (1) तन्नो = तत् + नः (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: द्/त् + नः → न्नो)
- (2) तत्सिन्धवः = तत् + सिन्धवः (त् + स → त्स)
- (3) अनु ग्मन्: वैदिक लोट् 3pl of √गम् with archaic stem ग्म- (ग्मन्)
- (4) यद्वोचे = यत् + वोचे (त् + व → द्व् in संहितापाठ: यद्वोचे)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Savitṛ the unerring be our protecting refuge; may the rivers, urged on, follow after it. When I, the hotṛ, speak near in the rite, may we become lords of wealth and treasures of force.
Inner meaning
Savitṛ as the unfailing guide (anarvā) becomes the inner refuge (varūtha)—a protecting formation of right impulsion. The ‘rivers’ (sindhavaḥ) are the streaming currents of consciousness and life-energies; when they are ‘pressed forward’ (iṣayantaḥ), they follow the solar guidance instead of dispersing into desire and habit. The hotṛ is the illumined voice in us that offers and articulates truth in the inner sacrifice; when that voice speaks ‘near’ (upa), the being becomes master of rāyas (spiritual plenitude) and vāja-ratna (forceful treasures: effective powers for works).
Universal truth
Protection is not mere shelter but right direction. When our energies flow in one guided course and our speech becomes a true offering, we gain both inner abundance and effective power in life.
Themes
Protection, Ritual speech, Flowing powers, Spiritual prosperity
The seer
- Lineage
- Atri (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 5.49 (this hymn), RV 5.50 (divine leader/friendship)
Family tradition
Ātreya hymns frequently emphasize the hotṛ-function as inner speech-power that mediates between human and divine.
Significance
The verse explicitly links divine guidance, directed energies, and the awakened mantra-voice—an integral triad for inner progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitṛ (with Sindhavaḥ as supporting powers)
- Epithets
- anarvā (unerring), protector (varūtha-kṛt implied)
- Related deities
- Pūṣan (path-guide), Uṣas (illumination), Indra (force that clears obstacles)
Cosmic role
Savitṛ establishes the right course and protection; the rivers are the life-streams of the world (and the subtle streams in the being) that carry the impulsion onward.
Inner power
Unerring guidance that gathers scattered energies into a single movement; protection through alignment with truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Hotṛ recitation within śrauta sacrifice; Savitṛ protection and prosperity request
तन्नो॑ अन॒र्वा स॑वि॒ता वरू॑थं॒ तत्सिन्ध॑व इ॒षय॑न्तो॒ अनु॑ ग्मन् । उप॒ यद्वोचे॑ अध्व॒रस्य॒ होता॑ रा॒यः स्या॑म॒ पत॑यो॒ वाज॑रत्नाः ॥
तत् । नः॒ । अ॒न॒र्वा । स॒वि॒ता । वरू॑थम् । तत् । सिन्ध॑वः । इ॒षय॑न्तः । अनु॑ । ग्म॒न् । उप॑ । यत् । वोचे॑ । अ॒ध्व॒रस्य॑ । होता॑ । रा॒यः । स्या॒म॒ । पत॑यः । वाज॑ऽरत्नाः ॥
tat | naḥ | anarvā | savitā | varūtham | tat | sindhavaḥ | iṣayantaḥ | anu | gman | upa | yat | voce | adhvarasya | hotā | rāyaḥ | syāma | patayaḥ | vāja-ratnāḥ
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (approx.)
Protective opening followed by flowing imagery; ends with a strong cadence of mastery (patayaḥ).
Elicits steadiness and gathered force; helps ‘channel’ energies into one current during practice.
- anarvā
- Literal: not straying, unerring. Symbolic: the guidance that does not deviate into ego or confusion
- varūtham
- Literal: protection, refuge. Symbolic: a formed shield of right consciousness; inner safety in truth
- sindhavaḥ
- Literal: rivers, streams. Symbolic: currents of consciousness/energies; life-forces that must be directed
- iṣayantaḥ
- Literal: impelling, urging on. Symbolic: aspiring pressure that makes energies flow upward/forward
- anu gman
- Literal: may they go after, follow. Symbolic: harmonized following of higher leading; integration
- adhvarasya hotā
- Literal: hotṛ of the sacrifice. Symbolic: the inner priest: truth-speaking faculty offering will and speech
- upa yad voce
- Literal: when I speak near. Symbolic: intimate invocation; bringing speech close to the divine presence
- rāyaḥ patayaḥ
- Literal: lords of wealth. Symbolic: mastery of spiritual riches: clarity, peace, joy, knowledge
- vāja-ratnāḥ
- Literal: treasures of force. Symbolic: dynamic capacities and victorious energies for right action
Explicitly ritual: hotṛ speaking in adhvara; also functions as a protective prayer (varūtha) and prosperity aspiration (vājaratna, rayi).
At beginnings of rites/undertakings; when seeking protection and successful flow of offerings
Invocation of Savitṛ as refuge; verbal offering by hotṛ; aspiration for rāyas and vāja
Before speaking/teaching/important conversation: invoke ‘anarvā savitā varūtham’ to align speech with truth and protection.
varūtha ‘refuge’ from √vṛ ‘cover/protect’—psychologically a shielding order enabling right growth. sindhu ‘river’ as flowing power; in inner sense, currents of inspiration/energy following Savitṛ’s impulsion. vāja: from √vaj ‘be strong’—not mere ‘food/prize’ but plenitude of force; hence vājaratna = force-rich treasures. hotṛ from √hu ‘invoke’—speech that calls down powers; inner priest as the invoking will in the being.
Protection through right impulsion (Savitṛ as anarvā), Rayi as fullness of being, Vāja as plenitude of force, Mantra-speech as invoking function (hotṛ)
Rivers following Savitṛ represent energies moving in ṛta rather than in disorder.
Hotṛ speech is effective when it is satya—speech near the divine, not ego-display.
Solar guidance shaping the ‘streams’ into ordered manifestation; prosperity as right formation of forces.
Yoga of speech and energy-direction (mantra + prāṇa) in an integral Vedic psychology.
morning (Savitṛ’s hour)
Rivers = prāṇic/mental currents; Savitṛ = higher directive will; protection = coherence of the system under truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Savitṛ as unfailing protector whose impulsion is followed by the rivers: the mythic picture of a leading divine movement drawing after it the streams of power. Psychologically, once the true impulsion is established, the energies (rivers) align and flow in support, yielding force and inner treasure.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sindhu ‘river’ participates in an IE hydronymic and poetic complex of rivers as divine powers. √hu (hotṛ) and √vac (speech) highlight the archaic IE sacral role of the poet-priest whose utterance effects communion—comparable to other IE bardic functions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks as hotṛ: his near-spoken word in the rite is the human offering; Savitṛ’s varūtha is the divine response of protection; the rivers symbolize supportive energies that follow. The reciprocity culminates in the aspiration to become ‘patayaḥ’—masters of rayi and vāja-ratna, i.e., stable possessors of spiritual fullness and force.
Gathering scattered energies into one guided current; making speech a true offering.
viśuddha (speech) + maṇipūra (directed force)
On inhale: feel ‘Savitṛ as refuge’ above the brow; on exhale: let energies ‘flow as rivers’ down the central channel into calm strength.
Centered, protected, integrated flow.
Before mantra-japa or work: (1) establish a sense of overhead guidance; (2) feel all inner currents aligning; (3) speak/chant with minimal words but maximal truth-intention; (4) end with a resolve to embody rāyas and vāja.
Respect marked accents (e.g., तन्नो॑, वरू॑थम्, सिन्ध॑वः, इ॒षय॑न्तः, वोचे॑, होता॑, रा॒यः); keep the cadence of each pāda clear.
Let ‘anarvā savitā varūtham’ carry a steady uplift; slightly lengthen pāda ends for triṣṭubh repose.
anarvā: articulate cluster -rvā with clear v, sindhavaḥ: dental dh, final visarga softly, iṣayantaḥ: retroflex ṣ, clear ya, adhvarasya: dhv cluster (adh-va-ra-sya), vājaratnāḥ: long ā in vāja, retroflex ṇ? (not here), keep -tn- clean
firm, protective, centered
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